Journal 2: FGCU Sustainability Tour and Nature Trail Reflection

Section One: FGCU Sustainability Efforts - Learning from Our Campus

Our class visited several locations around Florida Gulf Coast University that demonstrated how the university incorporates sustainability into everyday campus life. Each stop showed a different way FGCU balances the needs of students with the responsibility of protecting the environment.

Our first stop was Mulberry Hill, a student-led initiative where native Florida mulberry trees were planted for students to enjoy. During mulberry season, students are free to pick fresh fruit from the trees. I liked that this project was started by students because it shows that sustainability is something everyone can contribute to, not just the university itself. It also promotes the use of native plants that naturally belong in Florida.

The second stop was the Central Energy Plant (CEP). This was one of the most interesting stops because I learned that FGCU has its own system for cooling campus buildings. The plant produces chilled water that travels through underground pipes to cool many of the university's facilities. Most of the work is done at night so the large chillers can be shut down during peak energy hours in the afternoon, making the system much more energy efficient. I was genuinely surprised to learn this because I walk past the building almost every day and had never realized how important it is to the campus.

Next, we visited the wooden walkway bridge that passes through the swamp ecosystem surrounding much of FGCU. The walkway allows students to experience nature without disturbing the surrounding habitat. Although the trees and water around the bridge were created by people, they use native Florida species and connect different bodies of water so wildlife can move naturally without interacting with students. I thought this was a great example of humans and nature existing together without one negatively affecting the other.

Our fourth stop was Seidler Hall, one of FGCU's LEED Platinum certified buildings. The building includes large windows that allow natural sunlight to light the interior, reducing the need for artificial lighting. It also has an overhanging roof that provides shade, helping reduce heat entering the building and lowering energy use for cooling. This showed me how thoughtful building design can make a significant difference in conserving energy.

Outside Seidler Hall, we observed how the surrounding landscape also contributes to sustainability. The area uses native Florida trees, and rocks are placed beneath the roof overhangs where rainwater falls. These rocks help collect and manage rainwater, reducing flooding while allowing the water to naturally soak into the ground.

We then visited the Veterans Pavilion, where FGCU has created a large open lawn that serves as a gathering place for students and faculty. The space can be used for events that promote awareness of topics such as environmental conservation and energy efficiency, showing that sustainability is also about educating and bringing people together.

Our final stop was the Nature Trail on campus. We hiked through shin-deep swamp water and learned that the water was actually very clean because of the trees growing throughout the area, which naturally help filter it. The swamp provides an important ecosystem for many plants and animals living there. At the end of the hike, we each chose a tree and wrote a poem about it, encouraging us to connect personally with the environment around us.

The sustainability practice that had the greatest impact on my understanding of environmental responsibility was the Nature Trail. One of the greatest fantasy races ever created, the Hobbits, have a deep love and understanding for all things that grow. I have always thought there was something beautiful about that idea, and being surrounded by nature helped me understand it in a more personal way. It reminded me that caring for nature starts with learning to appreciate it.

The biggest surprise for me during the tour was discovering that FGCU has its own Central Energy Plant. I had walked by the building countless times without ever realizing what it did or how much energy it helps save for the university.

Overall, FGCU's campus reflects the university's values by combining education with environmental stewardship. From planting native trees to designing energy-efficient buildings and protecting natural ecosystems, the campus demonstrates that sustainability is not just something that is talked about in the classroom it is built into the university itself.

After this experience, one sustainability practice I would like to promote is encouraging more people to go on nature trails. I believe that once people fall in love with nature and begin to appreciate it, they naturally become more environmentally conscious and more aware of the impact they have on the world around them.

Section Two: Nature Trail Walk - Discovering Our Connection to Place

The Nature Trail was the most meaningful part of the entire field experience. Before this trip, I already knew that Florida is home to many wetlands and unique ecosystems, but walking through one myself gave me a completely different perspective. Reading about a swamp in a classroom is one thing, but actually hiking through one is something entirely different.

The most memorable moment was the three minutes of complete silence we spent standing in the middle of the swamp. Everything felt incredibly peaceful. For a few moments, there were no distractions just the sounds of nature. It was one of the most relaxing experiences I have had outdoors.

Walking through the clean swamp water also changed how I viewed wetlands. I learned that the trees in the area naturally help clean the water while supporting the many plants and animals that depend on the ecosystem. It showed me that wetlands are much more than flooded land they are living systems that perform important functions for the environment.

The Cypress Dome Reflection

Standing among the trees and water in the cypress dome made me feel completely at peace. There is a joke in the TV show Community where a character walks into a room that is literally room temperature and says, "I can't tell where the air ends and my skin begins." That quote perfectly describes how relaxed I felt standing in the swamp. For those few minutes, I felt completely immersed in the environment around me.

The cypress dome taught me something I could never have learned inside a classroom: how to love nature. No lecture or textbook could recreate the feeling of standing quietly in the middle of a living ecosystem. It was an experience that had to be felt rather than explained.

Section Three: The Tree Poem - Giving Voice to Nature

My Tree Poem

This tree buried in the heart of nature is a lot like me

Strong, hearty and standing tall

In tune with the swamp and all

This is my special tree

My tree will never fall

I was inspired by the strength of the tree standing in the middle of the swamp despite everything around it. I wanted my poem to express that strength and resilience. The message I wanted my tree to communicate was simple: no matter what challenges it faces, it remains strong and continues to stand tall.

Final Reflection: A New Understanding of Place

After this field experience, I understand sustainability differently because through experiencing a genuine hike through a swamp with a group of amazing classmates who made the experience even more memorable, I also fell in love with the local ecosystem that I never realized existed right on my own campus. The experience taught me that sustainability is not only about conserving energy or protecting wildlife. It is also about developing a genuine appreciation for the natural world. Once people care about nature, they become more willing to protect it. This field experience helped me better understand my own responsibility to care for the environment and showed me that meaningful connections to nature can begin much closer to home than I ever expected.